Pat Riley

At 79 years old, Pat Riley has this physical status:

Patrick James Riley (born March 20, 1945) is an American professional basketball executive and a retired coach and player in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

He has been the team president of the Miami Heat since 1995 and as head coach in two separate careers (1995 to 2003 and 2008).

Riley has been named as one of the top NBA coaches of all time, as the head coach of five championship teams.

He won four with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1980s showtime era, as well as one with the Heat in 2006. As head coach of the Lakers, New York Knicks, and Heat, respectively, he has been named NBA Coach of the Year three times (1989–90, 1992–93, and 1996–97).

He was head coach of an NBA All-Star Game squad nine times (1982, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1990, all as head coach of the Lakers, and once with the Eastern team (1993, as head coach of the Knicks).

He is the first North American sports figure to win a championship as a player, assistant coach, head coach, and executive.

He was named one of the top ten greatest coaches in NBA history in 1996.

In 1972, he competed for the Lakers' championship team as a player.

Riley was most recently honored as the Heat's team president in 2012 and 2013.

On June 20, 2012, he received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the NBA Coaches Association.

Early life

Riley was born in Rome, New York, and raised in Schenectady, New York. He is the son of Mary Rosalia (Balloga) and Leon Riley, who spent 22 seasons as an outfielder and first baseman in minor league baseball, and he appeared in four games for the 1944 Philadelphia Phillies.

Under the direction of head coach Walt Przybylo and assistants Bill Rapavy and Ed Catino, Riley played basketball for Linton High School in Schenectady. The victory over Linton High School's Power Memorial on December 29, 1961, is mainly remembered for its two principals: Lew Alcindor (who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Riley, who will then work with Los Angeles's Abdul-Jabbar. Riley called it "one of the finest games in Schenectady basketball" in 1991.

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College career (1963–1967)

Riley spent four seasons with the Kentucky Wildcats, one on the freshman team and three on the varsity. He was named First Team All-SEC, NCAA Regional Player of the Year, SEC Player of the Year, and AP Third Team All-American, leading the Wildcats to the 1966 NCAA championship game as a junior on the 1965-19 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team. UK lost to Texas Western (today's UTEP), a game that was replayed in the film Glory Road, coached by Adolph Rupp. Riley was one of the few players in storied Kentucky basketball history to be named First Team All-SEC twice in his senior year.

Professional playing career (1967–1976)

Riley was selected by the San Diego Rockets as the seventh overall pick of the 1967 NBA draft. Despite the fact that Riley had not played football, he was also drafted as a wide receiver by the Dallas Cowboys in the 11th round of the 1967 NFL Draft. He was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1970 NBA expansion draft after three seasons with the Rockets. Riley was traded by the Los Angeles Lakers to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he spent five seasons. Riley served as a reserve on the Lakers' 1972 NBA Championship team. Riley was traded to the Phoenix Suns during the 1975-76 NBA season. He retired in 1976 after scoring 7.4 points per game over his nine seasons in the league.

(1979–present) Coaching and executive career (1979–2010)

Riley made his return to the NBA in 1977 as a Lakers broadcaster. Assistant coach Paul Westhead took over the team's head coaching duties and recruited Riley as an assistant coach in November 1979, after Jack McKinney was hurt in a near-fatal bicycle accident. The Lakers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in six games in 1980 NBA Finals, granting Westhead and Riley championship rings in their first year coaching the team. However, the team lost in the playoffs to the Moses Malone-led Houston Rockets last year.

Magic Johnson, who was unhappy playing for Westhead, said he wanted to be traded six games into the 1981-82 season. Jerry Buss, the Lakers' owner, was fired shortly afterward. Buss named West head coach at an ensuing press conference, with Jerry West on his side. West, on the other hand, was buffed, and Buss hurriedly tried to name West as "offensive captain" and then appointed West and Riley as co-coaches, with West and Riley later named West and Riley as co-coaches. During the press conference, West made it clear that he would only assist Riley and that Riley would be the head coach. Riley was the interim head coach until his position was permanent.

Riley was welcomed in the Lakers' "Showtime" period, as well as legendary players Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar in their running match. Riley became a celebrity in his own right, a fashion icon for his Armani suits, and a celebrity for his slicked-back hair that complemented the team's Hollywood image.

Riley was also an innovator on defense, as he was one of the first coaches to use a 1-3-1 half-court trap to increase the game's energy. Despite the fact that the Showtime Lakers were known for their offense, they still won championships for their defense. Michael Cooper was one of the best defensive guards in the game. According to the league's view, the Lakers played with finesse but weren't strong enough to win in the playoffs. Riley's motto was "no rebounds, no rings," reinforcing the fact that you must work for rebounds in order to win championships.

Riley led the Lakers to four straight NBA Finals appearances. Against the Philadelphia 76ers in his first season, his first title came in his first season. Both teams returned to the Finals this year, this time Riley's Lakers were swept by the 76ers. In 1984, the Lakers lost in the Finals to the Boston Celtics in seven games. Riley was awarded his second NBA title in 1985 in a rematch of the previous year, as the Lakers defeated the Celtics in six games. The Houston Rockets snapped the Lakers' four-year Western Conference streak the following year.

Riley coached a Lakers squad in 1987, one of the best teams of all time. With the addition of new members of the Hall of Famers, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as well as A. C. Green, Kurt Rambis, and Cooper, the Lakers finished 65-17 in the regular season, the third best in team history. They had similar success in the playoffs, losing Riley in six games to win his third NBA title.

During the Lakers' championship parade in downtown Los Angeles, one of Riley's most memorable performances came when he promised the crowd a repeat championship (he first promised it at the post-victory locker room celebration). Although the 1988 Lakers didn't win as many games in the regular season as the 1987 Lakers, the Lakers retained the NBA championship, becoming the first team in 19 years to return as champions. In 1988 NBA Finals, the Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons in seven games, living up to Riley's pledge. Riley is one of six men to play for an NBA Championship team and later coach the same NBA team to a championship, while the others are George Senesky, Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn, K. C. Jones, and Billy Cunningham.

Although Riley would not have further information, the Lakers' Lakers began their quest for their third straight championship in 1989. Riley had successfully defended a repeat championship the year before, and the term used for this new aim was a three-peat championship, and Riley, through his corporate entity, Riles & Co., trademarked the phrase three-peat. The Lakers were swept by the Pistons in the 1989 NBA Finals, rematching the previous year's finals sequence.

Riley was named NBA Coach of the Year for the first time in 1989–90, but the Lakers' head coach resigned after losing to the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs. Riley was the best coach in the NBA at the time of his release, with a degree of fame not seen since Red Auerbach.

Riley played for NBC for one year before being named head coach of the New York Knicks in 1991–92, after stepping down.

Commentators praised Riley's ability to work with the physical, deliberate Knicks, as well as his "howtime" style with the fast-paced Laker teams in the 1980s. In 1991, the Chicago Bulls had a landslide in the Knicks en route to their first championship. However, the Knicks advanced to seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 1992, with Riley. During the 1992 playoffs, the Knicks' physical defense against the Chicago Bulls' superstars Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen sparked a feud between Riley and Bulls head coach Phil Jackson over the officiating and the Knicks' rough style of play. Riley set the Knicks to their best regular season record in team history (tied with the 1969-1970 team) in 1993 and received his second Coach of the Year award. The Knicks returned to face the Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals, but they fell in six games after winning the first two games at home. Despite Riley's trademark in 1989, Jackson's Bulls won the finals and completed a "three-peat."

Riley returned to the NBA Finals in 1994, defeating the three-time champion Bulls (without Michael Jordan) in seven games during the Eastern Conference semifinals. However, after being up 3–2 in the series, New York lost in seven games to the Houston Rockets. Riley became the first coach to play in a NBA Finals Game 7 with two teams in 1994 and 1988, having served with the Lakers in 1984 and 1988. However, he had the unfortunate distinction of being the first (and to date, only) coach to miss an NBA Finals Game 7 with two squads after losing to the Celtics in 1984. In 1988, it denied him the honor of being the first coach to win a Game 7 with two teams, having defeated the Pistons in seven games.

Riley resigned from the Knicks via fax to become the Miami Heat's president and head coach, with complete control of basketball affairs. The move caused some controversies as the Heat were accused of tampering by pursuing Riley while he still had a year on his deal with the Knicks. The matter was settled after the Heat sent their 1996 first-round pick (which the Knicks used to draft Walter McCarty) and $1 million in cash to the Knicks on September 1, 1995.

Riley led the Heat to a 42–40 record in 1995–96, which was a 10-game increase over the team's previous season. The Chicago Bulls, coached by Phil Jackson, were swept in the first round of the playoffs, losing the NBA championship. This Heat season was notable for staff changes, as the team welcomed franchise building blocks Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway. Following the season, the Heat also acquired Nets forward P.J. Dan Majerle, a Brown and Suns swingman, is a writer who writes.

In 1997, Riley's Heat defeated his old team, the Knicks, in a physical seven-game series. For the first time in franchise history, the Heat were defeated by the eventual champion Bulls. Riley was named Coach of the Year for the third time since leading Miami to a 61-21 regular season record and first place in the Atlantic Division.

In 1998, 1999, and 2000, the Heat lost to the Knicks in the playoffs. Brown and Jamal Mashburn were traded for Eddie Jones in one trade and then acquired Brian Grant in another, but the team suffered a big setback after Alonzo Mourning was out for the season due to a kidney injury. The Heat were defeated by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the NBA playoffs after finishing 50–32 in the 2000–01 season. After guard Tim Hardaway was traded to the Dallas Mavericks and Anthony Mason signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Heat then lost two of their best players. In part because of these departures, the Heat slowed to 36–46 in 2002, the first time a Riley-coached team had not had a winning season or advanced to the playoffs. Riley was so dissatisfied with the Heat's results he's declared himself "fire himself."

Riley resigned as head coach after the 2002-03 season, defeating longtime assistant Stan Van Gundy. The Heat used to select Dwyane Wade for their fifth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. Riley cut Caron Butler, Brian Grant, Lamar Odom, and a first-round draft pick for center Shaquille O'Neal in July 2004. The Heat beat the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2005, where they lost to the defending champions after leading the series 3–2.

It was widely believed that Riley was attempting to convince Van Gundy out and make himself the team's head coach once more during the 2005 offseason. Van Gundy resigned from his role in just 21 games into the 2005-2006 season, citing a desire to spend more time with his family as the cause, and Riley named him as Van Gundy's successor. The Chicago Heat team defeated the Detroit Pistons in the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals, the first time Miami advanced to the finals. In the 2006 NBA Finals, Riley's Heat faced the Dallas Mavericks. Despite losing the first two games, the Heat regained control of the next four games and their first NBA championship. Riley said he had packed one suit, one shirt, and one tie for the ride to Dallas after Game 6. It was Riley's fifth title as a head coach and the first with a different team than the Lakers.

Riley took a leave of absence from teaching from January 3, 2007, citing hip and knee injuries. Ron Rothstein, the assistant coach, took over interim leadership. The Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs, the first defending champions swept in the first round since 1957. The Heat finished 15-67 in the first season. Many of the team's players were forced to extended illness, as well as a dissatisfied Shaquille O'Neal, who was traded mid-season. They had one of their worst seasons in NBA history two years after winning the championship. It also tied the Heat's inaugural season of 1988-89 as the worst in franchise history, and it was easily the first full-season record compiled by a Riley-coached team.

Riley announced on April 28, 2008, that he would step down as head coach while keeping the team president. Erik Spoelstra, the assistant, was hired as head coach by the artist. Despite Riley's tenure as team president (Randy Pfund until 2008, and Andy Elisburg since 2013), Riley has had the final say in basketball matters since his arrival in Miami.

Riley joined LeBron James and Chris Bosh in 2010 to form the Heat's "Big Three" with Dwyane Wade. Each of the next four seasons (2011-2014), the Heat reached the NBA Finals each of the next four seasons (2011-2014). The Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012 to award Riley their first championship as an executive. In 2013, the Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs as champions.

The Heat were the fourth team in NBA history to finish in fourth place in their conference in the regular season and make it to the NBA Finals in the 2019-20 season. Some have characterized Riley's "magnum opus" as the team's Finals run did not precede a dramatic rebuild or the selection of a top draft pick. Riley drafted Tyler Herro and signed the undrafted Kendrick Nunn before the season began. The Heat acquired Andre Irmo and Jae Crowder before the 2019-20 trade deadline. In six games, the Heat defeated Riley's former team, the Los Angeles Lakers (led by former Heat superstar LeBron James).

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Awards and honors

• Nine-time NBA Champion (one as a player, one as an assistant coach, five as a head coach, and two as an executive)
• Three-time NBA Coach of the Year
• Nine-time NBA All-Star Game head coach
• 2011 NBA Executive of the Year
• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (class of 2008)
• 1966 First Team All-American
• 2012 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award
• Number 42 retired by the Kentucky Wildcats